Chez Georges — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

Our anticipation was high as we arrived at Chez Georges, drawn by glowing reviews and enticing photos. However, our stay was marred by an unexpected and disappointing experience: the hotel had been taken over for a commercial video shoot without any prior notice.

Throughout our two-day stay, one entire day was dominated by the presence of a bustling film crew comprising at least 80 individuals. The public spaces, including the main dining area and adjacent rooms, were rendered inaccessible as they were transformed into a makeshift production zone from 7 AM until 9 PM. Maneuvering in and out of the hotel became a challenge due to the takeover of the entrance area by tents and filming equipment. Furthermore, the common areas were stripped bare of furniture, making them uninviting and impractical for guests.

Adding to our frustration, essential amenities such as the elevator and pool were rendered inaccessible during the shoot. Even basic necessities like breakfast became a struggle, as the film crew repurposed a plastic table for our use, leaving us feeling inconvenienced and overlooked.

Compounding our disappointment was the absence of a managerial presence to address our concerns promptly. Despite attempting to reach out through WhatsApp, the response from the manager, Letícia, fell short of expectations, with promises to "understand better what happened" failing to alleviate our grievances.

While the scenic view offered some solace amidst the chaos, the overall lack of communication and disregard for the comfort of hotel guests left a lasting negative impression. Despite the potential, we regrettably cannot envision returning to Chez Georges in the future.

EDIT: after 3.5 months, the hotel gave some compensation for part of our stay, which...

We reserved at Chez Georges on 31 October 2021 for a stay around Christmas. We reserved through AirBnB, and received notification that our reservation request was accepted. I messaged them on 13 November with a question but they were unresponsive. I engaged AirBnb support who finally got them to respond on November 25th, after several attempts. At this point, they ask for a 50% price increase (a substantial amount since Chez Georges is upscale) on the price of the reservation I already held. AirBnb support suggests a compromise, a 25% increase, which I accept, but they refuse. Then Chez Georges cancels our reservation, incurring the AirBnb penalty when a host cancels. They claim they had just found out about the AirBnb account which they say was created by a former manager, and which was configured to automatically accept reservation requests. They were not willing to honour my reservation because they prefer to rent out the entire property during the peak Christmas week instead on renting out individual rooms. With less than a month left before our trip, we are left to find another comparable place. Availability for our dates is a lot less than when we first reserved in October so this will be tough. They apologize for the inconvenience to us but basically chose to prioritize their commercial interest instead of honouring our reservation, assuming it was indeed granted by mistake. This is not how good businesses...

Do I even want to let out the secret of this place? Only because the staff will benefit or else I would never let it be known that this is Rio’s best kept secret. An architectural gem nestled in the hills of Santa Teresa this BEAUTIFUL home/Airbnb is a place for relaxation and luxury. The photos are every bit as good in person and EVERY single detail is looked after. The breakfast (included) was hands down the best in Brazil with lovely accompaniments and custom eggs to special orders - nothing is too much! The property offers private chef meals, massages and a staff that attends to anything you need. And I mean anything! They spent two hours helping me book a flight!! The rooms are comfy with exquisite decor, lovely bath amenities, great AC, quiet, etc. and the view from the pool deck…wow, I could drink coffee there forever! The location is perfect and walking to restaurants and shops in the area is only 5 min away. I am honored to have stayed in this home! Thank you thank you thank you...